Is Nikola Jokić playing for Nuggets on Sunday?
Here's what we know about Nikola Jokić's status for the Nuggets' regular-season finale against the Spurs.
Nikola Jokić is in a pickle. As the rest of the Denver Nuggets ' presumed playoff rotation sits out the end of the regular season to get extra rest before the playoffs ( not to mention most of the NBA ), Jokić can't exactly join them. That is, unless he wants to forfeit his end-of-year award eligibility (MVP, All-NBA, what have you) according to the NBA's 65-game rule .
With the Nuggets set to visit the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, Jokić has played 64 games this season. That is one under the NBA's 65-game threshold to remain eligible for all the honors mentioned. If he does not play at least 15 minutes in San Antonio, not only will he not be an MVP finalist, but he will also not be on any All-NBA team, both of which his play this season deserves.
The last time Jokić wasn't at least an MVP finalist was 2020. The last time he didn't make any All-NBA team was 2018. Suffice it to say, while Denver has bigger fish of an NBA title variety to fry this spring, Jokić and the Nuggets probably want to maintain that for his individual legacy.
Both appear to understand this goal, as Jokić is the only major Denver player still listed as "questionable" for Sunday's Spurs matchup. In fact, based on the Nuggets' pre-flight photos on social media , he seems to be the only major Denver player even making this final regular-season road trip. If you can read the tea leaves as I can, the safe assumption is that Jokić will, in fact, play to maintain his award eligibility.